The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-22
JUDGE COTHRAN'S SPEECH.
WHAT he SAID AT THE GREENWOOD FE
MALE COLLEGE COMMENCEMENT.

Words sofAdmOnitiOn and Cheer for
the Living--.ProSress the Law of
Our Nature---NIorni and Spiritual
Training must Receive their
Groundwork Around the Hearth
siOne..-The World more Indebted
to PiOus Mothers than TO Poets,
Philosophers and Scientists
Moral Truths and Moral Precepis.
The Abbeville Messenger having kind
ly loaned the type of Judge Cothrans
speech, we herewith reproduce it in the
Press and Banner. Tho reportorial re-
marks and notes are by The editor of the
Messenger.
Thursday morning at halr-past ten
O'Clock was the hour appointed for the
address before the Female College by
Judge j. S. Cothran, and of course every
one was out hear it. 1t took place at
the college. The Judge was introduced
in happy manner by DR.. j. c. Max
we'll, who said that he thought the peo-
pie Of Greenwood had two causes for
congraulation. The first was the estab-
lisment in their midst Of this institution
of learning, presided over by those so
competent and worthy, as the successful
exhibitions of the past two nights had
abundantly testified, and the second was
the presence OF the distinguished jurst
and eloquent speaker whom they all
knew and loved, and who was to address
them to-day.
Judge Cothran was greeted with
rounds of applause, and proceeded in
his usual graceful manner to make a
most interesting address. In the outset
he referred to the many sad incidents
which the people Of Greenwood had
witnessed in the past month or so. 1t
had been but short time since with
them he had stood by the grave of as
good and as true man as ever lived in
our midst. One We all delighted to hon
or-the lamented Col. Aiken. In the
past week the head of one the institu,
tions Of learning had been gathered to
his fathers,-stricke down in the midst
of his usefulness and almost in the very
harness, and another, Jealous patron Of
the school, and a pillar in the Presbyte-
rian church. after long and painful ILL.,
ness had crossed the river to rest in the
shade of the trees upon the other
side. A bright young lad, by an un-
fortunate accident had lost his life,
and one of your fairest daughters had
succumbed to fatal disease in a dis
tant land, and brought back to find her
last resting place in your cemetery. Her
then took up the subject of his address,
and by apt illustration drawn from vari-
Gus fields, impressed upon his audience
the doctrine of the universal brother
hood Of man, and love as the fulfilling
of the law. Progress in all departments
seemed to be the law of our nature. 1t
had been so since the foundation of the
world and would doubtless continue so
to be. He believed it was applicable to
the spiritual condition Of man as well as
to his material advancement. In fact
so wonderful had been the achievements
in physical science and art during the
present century, that in some directions
it seems to have reached the utmost
limit. Men however, in this day and
generation were disposed to attempt to
60 beyond their limit. 'Secret things
belong unto God," and to all such from
Saul, the son OF Kish, who
stood prcemincnt among the prophets,
even down to the evolutionists Of the
present day, the wrath cf God would at.
tach. Things which man had right to
know were progressing, and virtue and
intelligence, in every confiict-with
vice and ignorance. would score point;
every war would end with peace, and
substantial progress be made, until the
nations shall learn war no more. The
speaker than proceeded to speak of pro-
gress in educational affairs as follows
1t would seem that on an OCCASION like this,
any address would be incomplete without
some ullusion to Greece and Rome, but it is
said the noblest Roman was more distin-
guished once by the outcry of the pOpulace
to know "why is not Brutus in the procession
! to day 2" than his presence there could p0sSi-
bly, have given him.
Nor do consider myself equal to the task
of advancing any valuable ideas, or of she'd
ding any new light upon the subject of edu-
cation-espccially of female education. In
the first place, it is long time since / went
to school, and when I did so, it was not to
female college. a laboriOus, active and
somewhat eventful life has turned my
thoughts and efforts into other channels.
PROGRESS IN EDUCATION.
With some diffidcnce then do venture to say
| that the strides of progress in the field OF
teaching have not equallcd those in the mat
ter of material and mechanical development
There were brave men before Agamemnon and
even so there were good schools in Abbeville
District before those of the present day. 1t
is not my purpose to draw the comparison or
to disparage or unduly praise, either; tina! pro
sresS andSimprovcmcnt have been made in the
manner and matter of teaching no one perhaps
would have the hardhood to deny, but that
there was thoroughncss to the extent they
went in former DAYS, is equally undenlable
| grant you that the student of Geography of
the pre- sent day can tell you more than her
grand mother, at like age, could have done
of AfghaniStan, Kahmscatka, Polynesia or
Oceanca. now called, believe, Oceania, but
| gravcly doubt if she could bound the vari-
Gus subdivisions of her own State as well as
her grandmother, or name with equal accu-
racy It's towns and rivers with their popula-
tion and length.
WORD OF ADVICE TO PATRONS.
We are all born critics, and especially so OF
those things which we can neither do nor say
very well. In proof of this, | venture the
assertion that some could be found in this au-
dience-on the outer edge of it-who believe
that they could easily make batter address
than the one to which you have so patiently
listened. l dare say it is so. | certainly
would be delighted to exchange places with
any one of them if he would only come for.
ward. Hear another criticism and tell me If
it is just-this time of the trustees and pat
rons of the schools. Do you visit the schools
where ynnr children are being taught, to see